Category Archives: Business

Focus on Another Passion

Posted on by
1

Some time in the mid 90s I began toying with the idea of publishing a magazine much like the arts and culture section of a newspaper, without all the other, uninteresting stuff. Throughout the years, I have filled many a notebook page with different ways to approach this idea. At one point I researched the cost of a small print run, and quickly decided the web was the way to go.

Finally, in January 2010 I fired up a blog — Another Passion.

Since day one I have run Another Passion magazine style, with lots of interviews combined with portrait photography, and editorial posts, all of it somehow relating to the life and work of artists and creative professionals. Along the way I have met many talented and kind people, and gotten to see things I otherwise wouldn’t have. But as a lone wolf I can only do so much, and a one-man show was never what I had envisioned.

Early on I gave the blog 3 years to grow and with the Fox/Tribune syndication deal, I was off to a good start. In late May of 2011, well into the site’s second year, I started seriously working on ways to grow Another Passion. It was that or shut it down and incorporate the content into this, my personal blog (for which I have no other goals than to share whatever I feel like).

In late June, I hinted that changes were coming. At that point, I had a couple of possible outlines and scattered notes but had kept it all pretty much to myself. Putting it into words made it real and no doubt sped up the process. I was shooting off more e-mails than I had in years, asking help and advice from friends with any related experience or talent. That was just a few weeks ago, though it seems like a lot longer.

Three writers were quick to rally under Another Passion’s banner. So far, only one has been published, but that’s one more than before. All are talented people I know can help boost the rate of publication while also raising the content quality.

Based on advice and research, I set up memberships and sponsorships/ads to at least make it possible for revenue to start coming in, and I wrote my first ever manifesto – a surprisingly fun and inspiring exercise, by the way. The first 2 members signed up within minutes, essentially paying for nothing, since I had no exclusive content yet. These people gave me a vote of confidence, and for that I thank you. A few more have since joined, enough that I’m feeling a bit of pressure from it, which is good.

A big part of my renewed focus has to do with my mother’s passing in early May. Her death made me re-evaluate my own life. I’ve been fueling a lot of that energy into Another Passion. She was a big fan of the project, and she would be proud to see it grow. And so I do it in her honor. I’ve spent weeks of 10+ hour days and more money than is probably wise, hoping to give Another Passion the boost it needs. I am far from done, but I could not have done any of it without the support of Kelly Cline. She has been a rock, an anchor and the best friend I could have ever wished for in my greatest time of need.

I do believe that steady flowing, high quality content will carry the site to (some form of) greatness, but only if I can get it off the ground. Three writers is good, but I need at least twice as many before I am really happy. And though I have started producing members only content, there is little time to promote memberships and advertising. Content is king and until it starts flowing, my focus is there.

Going Into Video

Posted on by
4

20110430-115355.jpgWhen I sold my apartment in Copenhagen it left me in a position to make some investments for the future of my business. Which, in case you were wondering, is the business of telling stories. I chose to invest in video.

I have been wanting to do video on a more serious level for a long time, but I didn’t have the setup to recreate the visuals in my head. Don’t get me wrong, I am a firm believer in the whole it’s-not-the-gear-but-how-you-use-it thing, but if you have specific ideas that your current setup just can’t do, it might be time to upgrade. So, I’m moving from iMovie to Final Cut Studio, from camcorder to DSLR and from built-in mics to a wireless system.

Up until now, I have just fooled around with video. Over the next few months I will dive into the more technical bits and study, practice and practice some more. But it doesn’t start with editing, special effects or even filming. Software and hardware does not a great film make. So I have gone back to the beginning.

In my mind filmmaking of any kind starts with good writing. That is where I have begun. I am reading about scriptwriting of all kinds, from documentary and music videos to feature films. And I am experimenting and doing exercises in writing for visuals as I go. Warming up before a few bigger test-projects involving other people and actual filming.

It’s a huge investment in terms of both time and money. Am I nervous about it? Absolutely! I think any important decision should make you a little nervous, just so you’ll take it seriously. But mostly I am excited to learn and dive deeper into something that has always interested and attracted me, but that I have only ever scratched the surface of.

Will Work For Free

Posted on by
2

Singer Johan Olsen from Magtens Korridorer.

Magtens Korridorer is a Danish band I've photographed for years. It's been fun following their path to success. The free beer was cool too!

I hope I never get too busy, jaded or lazy to do the occasional free job. Anyone can take a picture, but I like to think that I am better than average (or the last decade of my life has been for nothing). That’s why I normally charge for my services. But every so often, I will offer to work for free. It’s not a completely selfless act mind you, I get something out of it too.

The people I photograph for free are almost always artists of some sort. I grew up around painters, musicians, architects and what-have-you, and almost all of these talented people could have used a good picture or three for marketing themselves and their work, and for the same reasons they would need a photo, they also couldn’t afford to hire a professional to shoot a series for them.

There are thousands of struggling artists in the world, but naturally I can’t afford to give away my photos all the time.

I extend the offer to people I really like. The people behind the work are more important than the work itself. I am a storyteller, and those always have their root in people. It ties into combining Kindness and Hard Work as well. The people I help are genuinely grateful, and they tend to remember me later. In the past this has led to referrals, more work (some of it still for free), friendships and collaborations. And with each and every shoot comes inspiration and learning, and that’s the real pay-off.

A couple of people I have photographed have later gone on to have some success, which hasn’t made me rich (nor would I dream of taking credit for their success, which had everything to do with their own hard work) but it’s gotten me lots of really cool, fun experiences that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.

Giving away my work also gives me a sense of applying my talent where it matters. That’s a very direct and fulfilling thing. I’ve met naysayers who claim one of two things: it’s undermining “the industry”, and you’re killing yourself for nothing. To those I say, you don’t get it. I’m not doing this for business – not directly anyway. I’m doing it because it’s who I am, how I was raised and it’s what I love doing.